A Low, Dishonest Decadence: A Letter from Moscow

It is shortsighted to judge Russia's progress by superficial materialist measures--or have we forgotten what the Cold War was really about? At a deeper social and spiritual level, the country remains in peril.

After 15 years of tumultuous change in Russia, Moscow is booming andparts of the city give the impression that they are part of the West.Tverskaya Street, the capital's principal artery, is filled withstrollers, late model cars and outdoor cafes. On NovoslobodskayaStreet, coffee houses are filled to capacity and consumers crowd thenew "Friendship" Russo-Chinese shopping center. Everywhere, restoredbuildings reveal the beauty of Moscow's 19th-century architectureand, at night, the illuminated façades of the buildings and gleamingcupolas of the Orthodox churches create an atmosphere of dynamism andresurgent grandeur.